THE GOOD HAND OF MY GOD. Nehemiah 2:7-8 When a trusted man faithfully and well performs the tasks he has been given and can be counted on to be consistent in his service because he has been that way before, he can be trusted in other work. Assigning him a specific task and letting him do it without unnecessary restrictions will almost always result in a job well done. Nehemiah's work in the palace up until that day was likely the same day after day for a long time.
For a cupbearer to want to rebuild a city's walls and gates, as a construction superintendent would, would have been very different. Not only would it have meant rebuilding, but it would also have meant leading men on the project and governing when there would be opposition to his leadership, which could have daunted a lesser man. The king would have had his doubts about letting him change his job. Even the requests he made to the king after obtaining permission to go indicated that he was a capable man with the leadership qualities needed for the work he was about to undertake.
The letters to the governors of the territories west of the Euphrates River and to Asaph, the “keeper of the king’s forest,” must have included Nehemiah’s authority to serve as governor of Judah. This authority would have enabled him to rebuild Jerusalem and its walls, thereby beginning the seventy weeks of Daniel’s prophecy [Dan. 9:24-27]. These letters would have assured him and those with him of safe passage to Jerusalem.
The fact that there was a letter to Asaph indicates there must have been a planted forest not far from Jerusalem, when the number of trees available for harvest was limited. The amount of timber needed to build the gates would not have required importing timber from the distant forests of Lebanon.
“The palace which appertained to the house” was a fortress next to the temple, protecting it and overlooking part of the courtyard. Hananiah, the brother of Nehemiah, was the governor of that fortress, which remained, was added to, and was still there when Herod rebuilt the temple hundreds of years later.
The Holy Spirit of God gives guidance and empowers us when we are called to a work for the Lord. But that does not mean we should not plan what needs to be done, how, and by whom. Ordering one's life keeps us from wasting time or conducting work in a "hit-or-miss" manner. Our Lord Jesus Christ made a comment regarding a building project: "For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?" We are not taking matters into our own hands when we use the common-sense God gave us in the first place. Nehemiah knew what was needed and where to get it. He had done his homework. He knew there would be opposition beyond the river, where the king held authority. He had thought through the project from the smallest details, such as letters, to the largest, such as timber in the forest. There were political ramifications to consider: by securing the city of Jerusalem with walls and gates, those who claimed local authority, even though they had areas of responsibility, would recognize that another governor was coming to rule the newly walled city. It is a point of interest, even a marvel, that this man, who had never been in that place before, had such a commitment to it that he knew what he would have to face and how to deal with it.
Confidence in God involves knowing Him well enough to pray in faith and to prepare our hearts and lives in anticipation of His using us in His work. It also involves focusing on specifics, not just generalities. Faith can wait as long as necessary, but it is ready to act at the first opportunity. When we trust in our God, we will not complacently wait for doors to open but will be ready to go forward immediately when a door opens of its own accord. It may be that the door is already ajar, and it is only for us to reach out the hand of faith and go through. What a joy it is when, like Nehemiah, we know "the good hand of my God [is] upon me." God is the Source of the needed grace from the king. God is the Strength we need to accomplish the task before us that He has delegated to us for His own sovereign purposes.
We are often hesitant to ask for help in times of need because of embarrassment, fear of rejection, or a desire not to appear incapable, weak, or unable to meet our own needs. When we know we are incapable yet have an urgent need, we can overcome that reluctance by taking it to the Lord in prayer. We know that God answers our prayers in ways best suited to our needs and in accordance with His divine will. How He answers those prayers is up to Him. He often answers through the benevolence and goodwill of others when we are humble enough to ask them for help.
Good organizational skills, power, and position can be very helpful to a servant of the Lord, but without God’s power and wisdom to apply those things properly, failure will come. When God uses others to bless us, we must be thankful to Him and to them, and acknowledge their grace and kindness with words and actions of thanksgiving and appreciation.